Relationships Don't Define You. (Monday Moments #57)

          He was a young entrepreneur of a start-up company which had a bright future. He was financially independent and had great plans for his life. He had planned out everything. Marriage, travelling, business; every aspect of his life was well thought of. He was in a 2-year relationship with a smart and beautiful girl. She was doing her PhD in arts and wanted to be a painter. She wasn't as well off as he was. While he was the practical one, she was the romantic one. She dreamed a lot about everything. She could never compartmentalize her life like him. If a meeting was successful, he'd be happy and then move on to the next thing. If there was a loss, he's be sad and then move on to the next thing. It was like he majored in moving on. But, for her, it was the most impossible thing. If she had even one fight with him, her entire day was ruined. Moving on from that was just not possible. She thought about him more than everything. But, that day, they both learned their lessons.

          There was a big fight between them. And she was shattered along with the pieces of her heart. He was aghast and was not able to comprehend anything. She was about to call her best friend when she saw photos of him from his office party. She thought about all those times they fought. She somehow realised how she could never move on from him, when he so easily did. He wasn't just her boyfriend. He had become his whole life. He mattered a lot to her. She loved him more than she loved herself and that's when a revelation settled. She understood that one relationship wasn't her entire life. It was only a part of it. It was okay when he improved her life. But it wasn't okay when he affected it. It just wasn't something she could keep doing because she would be the one getting hurt. At that point, she lifted her brush and was hypnotized to the strokes of her brush. That painting was the best one she drew in her life. It was her escape to the freedom. The fight will be over, they will patch up but she will not be the same person. It was her time to think of things that mattered more. He will always be one of them, just not the only one. Not the only one.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. (Book Review #21)

Introduction:

          I had heard about this book from a long time. And given my love to Young Adult fiction, I knew I had to read it. I wasn't aware what it was about. I had no clue about the story line even. I think I had hoped too much from it without knowing what it had in it. And when I started reading, it was fun. I even finished it in a few days. And when it ended, I had one question, "What was that?"

          That's correct. It was the plainest story I had read. I know the point of it was to create such events that will make the boys realise who they are and what was the meaning of their existence. But, it all seemed vague to an indefinite extent. It is a coming of age novel where the two main characters develop into being men while understanding their roots and themselves in this vast universe.

Characters:

          Aristotle is a complicated boy who has never known what his life was about. He was a square peg in a round hole. He always kept to himself and feigned social interaction. He was brave who wouldn't believe in anything good about him. He had accepted that he was the most boring person who had no life apart from his family. And then came Dante. He had a weird sense of humour. He had this charm about him which intrigued everyone. He wanted to know about everyone's lives. He loved freely and talked his mind. Both of them, quite unlike each other, became friends in summer.

Story Line:

          The book is divided into six parts. For me, it was more like three parts. First; the summer they met. Second; the entire year Dante was not in El Paso. Third, the summer they were together again. I was surprised how I could finish an uneventful novel like this so fast. It might be because the language was simple. And the reader wants to unveil the real meaning of the title of the book.

          Throughout the story, there are some unexpected things at perfect intervals which will make you want to read till the end. The story starts with Aristotle and Dante's sweet friendship. They're just a couple of young guys who don't have their lives figured out. In one summer, their bond becomes strong than any other friendship they would have had. They only had each other. By the end of it, some secrets started to materialize. Aristotle discovers secrets about his father's war wounds, his mother's grief, his brother's acts and his own self.

Overall Thoughts:

          For a coming of age novel, this could have been much better. The author has kept it very simple and also conveyed the message of accepting who you are. It strongly sends a message to think about who you are, where do you come from and no matter what you have gone through, you can still achieve your dreams. After you've read it, you'll find a sense of happiness about how loving, caring and supportive some families can be, no matter who you are. It's not the kind of book which will make you obsessed. But, it is certainly something which will give you hope. I've rated this book at 2 stars on Goodreads. 

Have you read this book? What are your thoughts?

Moving Out. (Monday Moments #56)

          Her entire life she lived in that apartment. There were 20 years’ worth of memories hidden in every corner of it. The home had witnessed a lot in those years along with her. The floor had memories of her first steps. The walls with multiple posters had a hint of her obsession with boy bands and TV serials. The doors she slammed every time she was furious. The bedroom had infinite gossips from the night-ins with her friends and sisters. The kitchen had funny stories from her cooking mishaps. The hall was always noisy with the laughter of her family members. The balcony had recorded the loneliest times with her. Whenever she left from a boring event, she came home to find peace. Sitting in her home was the best comfort she enjoyed. And now, it was all going to fall apart. Their building was going to be brought down to construct something better. She didn't know what possibly would be something better than her own home.

          She was stuck in a nostalgic phase. She sat on the floor about to exit her home for the last time. All the furniture was already taken to another temporary place. The home looked very different without anything in it. There was nothing in there but still there was everything. She was heavy with thoughts. She took a round in there remembering little things and only her secrets. She had always been an emotional person. And this was one of the bigger things which left her speechless. Moving out of that place wasn't just a physical act. It was a mental struggle. She stepped out leaving her home behind with bitter sweet memories which will be cherished forever. It was her first home, the place where she learned to live.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

Breakdown. (Monday Moments #55)

          New office. New environment. New people. Straight out of college, it was her first time living the corporate life. A month had passed by with many ups and downs. One month, doesn't seem like a lot, right? But, she counted days and every day felt like a year. It was unbearable and she wasn't ready for it. She was like a baby alpaca in the world full of tigers. And that day, it was just too much. Every month-end their branch organised a party. It was something to motivate employees. The party was in a pub far away from her home. Partying constituted for loud music, expensive food, fake laughter and sucking up to your bosses, all of which she hated. She had decided to not go there. She was adamant until her parents told her that she should go at least for the first time to understand the office culture and to make some friends. And also because it looks rude. She thought, "Well, I am rude and I don't care about a stupid party! If you want to motivate me, it's not going to happen by forcing me to go to some lame party where I'll be that awkward girl in the corner wanting to go home and watch a 'Game of Thrones' marathon in her comfy pajamas. Everyone isn't similar!" But, of course she had to go because of all the etiquette bullshit. She was thinking of dressing entirely in black, so that she'll show at least some silent sign of protest. Anyway, she went there. And, it sucked. It totally sucked. She was hungry for a long time and nothing was served for the first hour! Then, her colleagues ditched her to dance. She just sat on a couch wanting to go home. She then went outside and called her boyfriend and he was busy with something else which was somehow a priority over her. She called her real friends so that at least some time will pass. But, they were too busy with something or the other.  She was on the verge of a meltdown. It wasn't just about this party. She couldn't handle the messy tangled up politics in her office. Someone or the other came to screw up her office life. She just couldn't be a suck up and so no one was ever in her favour. She was new there and no one made her feel welcome. She was on the phase where she was going to breakup with her boyfriend. All she had were her friends and when they couldn't be there for her, it was just too much. She went to the bathroom and let the tears flow. She wasn't made for corporate life. This wasn't her. One problem attracted the other and there she stood facing a huge giant wheel of problems which had no solutions. She stood alone, facing her problems realising no one's ever good enough to care, trust or love. 

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

Break-up. (Monday Moments #54)

          She was a talented singer, songwriter, feminist, dreamer and a fearless woman. He was a professional DJ, handsome, magical and a passionate man. While she was tender, he was fierce. He had friends but she had a squad. She was tall but he was taller. He made money but she made more. He was happy but she was blissful. He thought she was his significant other but she thought he was her forever. Both of them had dated earlier but it was never like this. She was completely in love with him while he couldn't get his eyes off of her. It was an entire fairy tale like story until something thundered into their life breaking them up and setting them apart. Lust sweeps you off the floor until love comes and sets your feet on ground. In the first six months, it was all about attraction. And later when they actually started to understand each other, they got into fights and misconceptions. Nothing about them was similar. They had their huge pile of differences. And after daily fights over the most bizarre things, they just couldn't stand each other. They hated each other except that they were also in love with each other. It wasn't a healthy relationship and it just wasn't meant to be. Sometimes people get into things without knowing the repercussions. Relationships aren't only about love. They're about a connection of souls and a feeling you can't quite explain. It's the thing that turns your insecurities into confidence and differences into explorations. It's about being on the same page and decorating that page with colour and happiness, together. And they didn't have it which is why they broke up to find these things with someone special.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

3 Books in 3 Days Challenge.

          3 weeks in a row, I had Friday to Sunday off. The first 2 times I just wasted it. But, this time, I decided to do something productive. I decided to challenge myself into reading 3 books in those 3 days. I had been on a reading slump for many months and I had to get over it. And, I did it! I'm not an easily pleased reader. I need the story to be gripping. I need it fact-paced and slow-paced at proper phases. I don't want an easily predictable end. And as much as I like conversations, I also like details of surroundings. I want the girl character to be in a relationship but I also want her dog to rip off the strange guy. I want to not like it just because it's of a particular genre but I also want to like it because the author puts in so much effort in the plot. And if the character is even a little bit like me, I don't want her doing something that I wouldn't. See? It's such a challenge even reading a simple novel. So, when I decided to read 3 such novels, my brain kind of drained out because it was obviously too much reading. All I did was read for hours at length. I enjoyed it, no doubt, but it was also too much exercise for the brain.. So I read three books. I'll write book reviews soon on the blog. Until then, here's a short description about them. 

1.     The Witness by Nora Roberts:

I read work of Nora Roberts for the first time on a friend’s recommendation. The book is divided into 3 parts vividly. I liked the first part. I thought I might have found a new good author to read. The first part has a touch of crime and suspense. The start is good enough to grip the reader. The second part has a love story. And the third part is witnessed with justice and an expected happy ending. Overall the reading experience was all right. It was exciting in the beginning, monotonous in the middle and disappointing in the end. I’ve given it 2 stars on Goodreads.

2.     Our Impossible Love by Durjoy Datta:

Durjoy Datta has let me down 9 out of 10 times. It was a disappointment this time as well. This is a love story about a school student and her counsellor. What strikes me about Durjoy Dutta is his basic idea is usually good. Like, in this novel, he has stressed the issues of feminism, rape and bullying. But the problem is he can’t convert these issues effectively into a story. Either the message gets distorted or the story gets boring. I’ve given it 3 stars on Goodreads.

3.     Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez:

My weekend wasn’t a complete waste only because of this book. I thought it was a bit bizarre in the beginning but as the story progressed, it got very interesting. The story is fast paced and very gripping. It took some time to stay on it but once I got the gist and plot, I read non-stop. The author has his way with words. He can describe one scenario for 5 pages and it still would sound meaningful. I’ve given it 4 stars on Goodreads.

          Taking this challenge taught me many things. Firstly, it got me out of my reading slump. I love to read and it sucked that I wasn’t reading anything. And only readers can understand this sentiment when you’re unable to read because of whatever unimportant reason that exists. So, yeah, it was good dedicating all of that time to my lovely gorgeous books.

          Secondly, if you’re going to do something extraordinary, then look for all the loopholes. I did a mistake by choosing lengthy books. So, I was up late at night until 3 or 4 am reading. Taking up 1 lengthy and 2 medium length books would’ve been better. But, I surely enjoyed reading late into the hours.

          Thirdly, this challenge is for those who don’t have a social life. It requires complete commitment. I didn’t get out of my home for these 3 days. But, then, I don’t have a social life. So, it was heavenly for me to stay in, drink coffee and snuggle with a book. That’s my idea of a lovely date with my handsome books.

You can check out another of my reading challenge wherein I read 15 books in 31 days.

Do you enjoy reading? Do you have any reading records?